Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis announce plans to contest cycling’s world hour record next year

JACK Bobridge knew something was up when he walked into the Adelaide SuperDrome last week and saw Rohan Dennis’ BMC track bike at the ready.

Up and coming cyclist Jack Bobridge in Adelaide.

JACK Bobridge knew something was up when he walked into the Adelaide SuperDrome last week and saw Rohan Dennis’ BMC track bike at the ready.

Dennis, a full-time road cyclist with BMC, has not raced the track since the 2012 Olympics, yet here was his track bike at the velodrome.

“I’d heard whispers he might be doing it but it was secured in my mind when I saw the BMC under the track,” Bobridge said.

Yesterday it became official after the pair who won an Olympic silver medal together in London announced separate plans to contest the world hour record next year.

Soon after Dennis revealed he would target the record in Switzerland on February 8, Bobridge declared he would give him something to chase by racing the clock in Melbourne on January 31.

The hour record is the longest distance covered on a bike in a velodrome in 60 minutes and has been held by some of the sport’s biggest names, including the legendary Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain and Chris Boardman.

It has twice been broken in the past six months, by German cyclist Jens Voigt, who rode 51.110km in September, and Swiss rider Matthias Brandle, who holds the record of 51.852km in October.

Brits Sir Bradley Wiggins and current Commonwealth Games time trial champion Alex Dowsett are also expected to have a crack at it in 2015.

“I’m aiming to set a benchmark that leaves everyone questioning themselves about whether they want to do it or not,” Bobridge said.

“At this point I can see myself beating the current hour record but it’s how much further I can go that will be decided on the day.”

Bobridge is already the world record holder for the 4km individual pursuit after lowering Boardman’s mark of 4mins 11secs - long thought unbreakable - in Sydney in 2011.

After watching Dennis ride the second-fastest time of 4:13, Bobridge responded with a scorching 4:10 and now has his sights set on becoming the man of the hour as well.

“Timmy (coach Tim Decker) was the first one to bring it up about a year ago and it grew on me over time,” the 25-year-old said.

Originally published as Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis announce plans to contest cycling’s world hour record next year